Jony Ive speaks on means and methods of 'Designed by Apple in California' book

Posted:
in General Discussion
In an interview about the new "Designed by Apple in California" coffee-table book, Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive speaks about how the title was composed, documentation of the processes used to build the products in the book, and Apple's history.



Early iPod in the cockpit of Space Shuttle OV-105 Endeavour, as seen in "Designed by Apple in California"


"Because we've been so consumed by our current and future work we came to realize we didn't have a catalogue of the physical products," Said Ive to Wallpaper. "So about eight years ago we felt an obligation to address this and build an objective archive."

Ive confesses that many of the products in "Designed by Apple in California" didn't come from the Apple archives, but had to be purchased from collectors and other sellers, as preservation is "not an area that we really invested much time or energy in" until now.

Looking back complicates the present


In the course of production, the team, including Ive, realized that the only way to do the project the way they wanted to was to treat the entire project like it was a piece of hardware that they were working on.

"There were a few things we needed to do to accurately and objectively portray these products. Of course, many of these products are white, so the off-the-shelf printing processes really didn't do an adequate job in describing the color and surface of those products," said Ive. "Unsurprisingly we ended up developing custom forms of paper and custom inks."

Over the course of development, photography improved. Near the end of production, photographer Andrew Zuckerman reshot every single product, to keep "that perfect consistency" through the entire book.


Why now?

"We asked ourselves, 'What is the value of a book like this, when most people know these objects so intimately already?" asked Ive. "First, to see the objects out of their functional context. Next, to see them in a context of the subsequent products and hopefully how we have learned as a team how technology shifts, moves and evolves."

"The other reason was to do with the fact that many people don't really have much of a sense of how their manufactured environment came to be." explained Ive. "One of the things we wanted to do was try and explain as clearly as we can - through photography - how you transform a raw material into a product that you recognize and hopefully use as a daily tool."

Ive noted that the book is ending up in the hands of "all the major design colleges in the world." Being explicit in the processes used in the construction of the Apple aesthetic is key to Ive and team as an "educational resource" for future designers.





"Designed by Apple in California"?will be available beginning Wednesday, November 16 in select Apple retail stores or online, in small (10.20" x 12.75") for $199 and large (13" x 16.25") for $299.
mr o
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,256member
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    SpamSandwichavon b7ivanhperkedelentropyslorin schultzbobroo
  • Reply 2 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    blastdoor said:
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    Yeah Apple decided a book was more important than a niche product for them. And yes, sorry the Mac Pro is a nice product for them. Also ummm...what CPU do you suppose they use in it? 
    mike1patchythepiratelolliverviclauyycdoozydozenh2p
  • Reply 3 of 59
    I don't quite understand how or why they are $200/$300, but I'd still like to get one. I would also probably order a set of of gloves to wear so I don't actually touch the book, lol.
    lolliverentropysdoozydozennetmageh2p
  • Reply 4 of 59
    sog35 said:
    Thanks alot Apple.

    Now you are FREELY giving your design secrets.

    I mean seriously WTF.

    This is like Coca Cola making a book with the secret receipe

    Apple has become a caricature of its proud former past.
    OMG!!! 

    How are they giving any secrets away? All the products have or are in production. 

    Idiot! 
    edited November 2016 mike1macplusplusSpamSandwichnolamacguystevehfastasleepdisneylandmanlollivershikotsumyakudoozydozen
  • Reply 5 of 59
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    sog35 said:
    Thanks alot Apple.

    Now you are FREELY giving your design secrets.

    I mean seriously WTF.
    Yeah, I mean it's like Jamie Oliver teaching how to cook!! Sorry to be blunt, but you're wrong. Copying a recipe for success won't turn another company into Apple. You can't look at this book and suddenly replicate Apple's culture. A culture is about values and they must be internal. How they work is born of their values as people and what they see as important. This book and the accompanying video is Apple putting design itself on a pedestal. It's good for the brand to show the outside world to what degree they value this stuff. And it's good for internal teams within Apple to remind themselves why Apple exists and how it views itself. This is something Samsung cannot copy. But you miss that nuance.

    You'll run yourself into an early grave the way you're going. No amount money or whatever value you have on your AAPL shares is worth your constant complaining. Give yourself a break. Take up daily meditation or something. I never in a million years thought I'd need it but for 9 months now I meditate once or twice a day. You might try it. Might calm down your need to control the world for a while and improve your health. Life's too short. All this giving out isn't getting you anywhere. Have a think about it.
    edited November 2016 mike1macplusplusnolamacguypscooter63roundaboutnowlollivershikotsumyakuenglishmike0doozydozennetmage
  • Reply 6 of 59
    Is there a video (with white background) to go with it? Where can I find it?
    edited November 2016 entropysviclauyycdoozydozen
  • Reply 7 of 59
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    sog35 said:
    Thanks alot Apple.

    Now you are FREELY giving your design secrets.

    I mean seriously WTF.

    This is like Coca Cola making a book with the secret receipe

    Apple has become a caricature of its proud former past.
    I think you need to start some kind of movement with the image of Steve Jobs as the logo, and call it 'Make Apple Great Again'. You should also get yourself a soap box - a real one, and tour all the Apple stores in the country (I'd say the world but lets pretend the US is the entire world - it seems more fitting). Then, from the crack of dawn, from your soapbox, you can proclaim to all and sundry the greatness of the past and lousiness of the present. You can repeat over and over and over and over that Apple must return to the greatness of Steve Jobs and that Tim Cook must be fired. When you feel specially enraged you can literally start all over the second you have finished. 

    The greatness of this plan is two fold - 1) You can continue doing exactly what you are already doing but you'd be reaching a much wider audience, and 2) We don't have to keep reading your highly predictable negative rants at the top of every single thread. It has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing with your point of view anymore. It is that your wing flapping and screeching is so piercing and high maintenance. People here don't want to debate with you - they just want you to be quiet.
    irelandroundaboutnowtmaylollivershikotsumyakudoozydozenspice-boybrucemcnetmageh2p
  • Reply 8 of 59
    MacantoshMacantosh Posts: 4unconfirmed, member
    I can really see SOG35 as the guy who would have fired Steve Jobs. You can fire Tim Cook if you want, but you'll be bringing him back, just like Apple did with Steve. Why are Apple fanboys so impatient? You guys really need some patience. You guys are have been like this forever.
    tmayking editor the gratedoozydozenh2p
  • Reply 9 of 59
    peterhart said:
    I don't quite understand how or why they are $200/$300, but I'd still like to get one. I would also probably order a set of of gloves to wear so I don't actually touch the book, lol.
    Collector's item. It's Apple, after all.

    In addition to that, if it's a limited edition, beautifully bound and typeset, using quality materials, it'll be worth a helluva lot more than the asking price down the road.
    tmaydoozydozen
  • Reply 10 of 59
    macxpress said:
    blastdoor said:
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    Yeah Apple decided a book was more important than a niche product for them. And yes, sorry the Mac Pro is a nice product for them. Also ummm...what CPU do you suppose they use in it? 
    What CPU do you suppose they use.... Really dude. The Xeon E5 CPU in the MacPro has been updated by intel twice since 2013. The E5v2 tops out at 12 cores, the current E5v4 tops at 22 cores. For those needing this level of power, such as ourselves, this difference is enormous. The improvements in graphics cards since that time is even more drastic. You have no idea, how many companies rely on the Mac Pro as their back bone. The Mac Pro has been updated once in 5 years. We skipped the 2013 update because Apple's design choice of removing a cpu and causing it to max out at 12 cores made it equal to what we already had. So here we are 5 years later and still stuck at 12 cores with aging/dying systems. We refuse to replace any with the full price current 3 year old tech and our frustration with Apple grows every day. So although the Mac Pro may be niche, without it, we will be dumping all Apple products. Don't get me wrong because I am aware that Apple just wants to be a phone company. If they are dropping the Mac Pro, I just wish they would have some respect and communicate it ASAP so all us companies that are waiting and waiting so that we can transition on. The frustration level from the pro market is at a full boil. So every time we hear about executives working on a book or a Christmas tree, when their flagship computer is 3 years old and a complete embaressment , there is going to be some negative comments on the board.
    ivanhblastdoorviclauyycdoozydozenh2p
  • Reply 11 of 59
    Apple is lost, get rid of Tim Cookie. No innovation, he is just numbers guy that is pleasing the board and shareholders.

    A book, with photos!! Give me a break!!!!

    Focus, innovate!!

    The new MacBook Pro is a joke!!!!!


    SpamSandwichivanhperkedelbobroo
  • Reply 12 of 59
    sog35 said:
    Thanks alot Apple.

    Now you are FREELY giving your design secrets.

    I mean seriously WTF.

    This is like Coca Cola making a book with the secret receipe

    Apple has become a caricature of its proud former past.
    OMG!!! 

    How are they giving any secrets away? All the products have or are in production. 

    Idiot! 
    i blocked that crazy ass. IMO he should be banned for repeated, off topic, insane trolling. 
    irelandpscooter63tmaylolliverdoozydozenbrucemcnetmagejony0
  • Reply 13 of 59

    Nachin said:
    Apple is lost, get rid of Tim Cookie. No innovation, he is just numbers guy that is pleasing the board and shareholders.

    A book, with photos!! Give me a break!!!!

    Focus, innovate!!

    The new MacBook Pro is a joke!!!!!
    welcome, troll. please find your updated FUD packets under your seat. 
    patchythepiratestevehpscooter63roundaboutnowtmaylolliverdoozydozennetmage
  • Reply 14 of 59
    paxman said:
    sog35 said:
    Thanks alot Apple.

    Now you are FREELY giving your design secrets.

    I mean seriously WTF.

    This is like Coca Cola making a book with the secret receipe

    Apple has become a caricature of its proud former past.
    I think you need to start some kind of movement with the image of Steve Jobs as the logo, and call it 'Make Apple Great Again'. You should also get yourself a soap box - a real one, and tour all the Apple stores in the country (I'd say the world but lets pretend the US is the entire world - it seems more fitting). Then, from the crack of dawn, from your soapbox, you can proclaim to all and sundry the greatness of the past and lousiness of the present. You can repeat over and over and over and over that Apple must return to the greatness of Steve Jobs and that Tim Cook must be fired. When you feel specially enraged you can literally start all over the second you have finished. 

    The greatness of this plan is two fold - 1) You can continue doing exactly what you are already doing but you'd be reaching a much wider audience, and 2) We don't have to keep reading your highly predictable negative rants at the top of every single thread. It has nothing to do with agreeing or disagreeing with your point of view anymore. It is that your wing flapping and screeching is so piercing and high maintenance. People here don't want to debate with you - they just want you to be quiet.
    Maybe he can start handing out free hats for everyone. That'll do it.
    lolliver
  • Reply 15 of 59
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    Ive needs to design the iGag, wear it all day long and shut the fack up!
  • Reply 16 of 59
    altivec88 said:
    macxpress said:
    blastdoor said:
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    Yeah Apple decided a book was more important than a niche product for them. And yes, sorry the Mac Pro is a nice product for them. Also ummm...what CPU do you suppose they use in it? 
    What CPU do you suppose they use.... Really dude. The Xeon E5 CPU in the MacPro has been updated by intel twice since 2013. The E5v2 tops out at 12 cores, the current E5v4 tops at 22 cores. For those needing this level of power, such as ourselves, this difference is enormous. The improvements in graphics cards since that time is even more drastic. You have no idea, how many companies rely on the Mac Pro as their back bone. The Mac Pro has been updated once in 5 years. We skipped the 2013 update because Apple's design choice of removing a cpu and causing it to max out at 12 cores made it equal to what we already had. So here we are 5 years later and still stuck at 12 cores with aging/dying systems. We refuse to replace any with the full price current 3 year old tech and our frustration with Apple grows every day. So although the Mac Pro may be niche, without it, we will be dumping all Apple products. Don't get me wrong because I am aware that Apple just wants to be a phone company. If they are dropping the Mac Pro, I just wish they would have some respect and communicate it ASAP so all us companies that are waiting and waiting so that we can transition on. The frustration level from the pro market is at a full boil. So every time we hear about executives working on a book or a Christmas tree, when their flagship computer is 3 years old and a complete embaressment , there is going to be some negative comments on the board.
    Mac Pros are NOT their flagship computer. Sorry dude try again. Its their least selling Mac. The Mac Pro is the least of their worries. What exactly are you doing to where you need this kind of power?
    doozydozen
  • Reply 17 of 59
    macxpress said:
    altivec88 said:
    macxpress said:
    blastdoor said:
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    Yeah Apple decided a book was more important than a niche product for them. And yes, sorry the Mac Pro is a nice product for them. Also ummm...what CPU do you suppose they use in it? 
    What CPU do you suppose they use.... Really dude. The Xeon E5 CPU in the MacPro has been updated by intel twice since 2013. The E5v2 tops out at 12 cores, the current E5v4 tops at 22 cores. For those needing this level of power, such as ourselves, this difference is enormous. The improvements in graphics cards since that time is even more drastic. You have no idea, how many companies rely on the Mac Pro as their back bone. The Mac Pro has been updated once in 5 years. We skipped the 2013 update because Apple's design choice of removing a cpu and causing it to max out at 12 cores made it equal to what we already had. So here we are 5 years later and still stuck at 12 cores with aging/dying systems. We refuse to replace any with the full price current 3 year old tech and our frustration with Apple grows every day. So although the Mac Pro may be niche, without it, we will be dumping all Apple products. Don't get me wrong because I am aware that Apple just wants to be a phone company. If they are dropping the Mac Pro, I just wish they would have some respect and communicate it ASAP so all us companies that are waiting and waiting so that we can transition on. The frustration level from the pro market is at a full boil. So every time we hear about executives working on a book or a Christmas tree, when their flagship computer is 3 years old and a complete embaressment , there is going to be some negative comments on the board.
    Mac Pros are NOT their flagship computer. Sorry dude try again. Its their least selling Mac. The Mac Pro is the least of their worries. What exactly are you doing to where you need this kind of power?
    The Mac Pro probably is headed for the dustbin. For whatever long term strategic goals Apple has in mind, it evidently does not include the high-end professional.
    perkedelviclauyych2p
  • Reply 18 of 59

    Mac Pros are NOT their flagship computer. Sorry dude try again. Its their least selling Mac. The Mac Pro is the least of their worries. What exactly are you doing to where you need this kind of power?
    Due to several meanings, I guess flagship was a poor choice of words on my part.  I meant flagship as "Top of the Line", not as in most selling.  As far as branding is concerned, most industries have a low volume top of the line product.  But, if the best you can do (top of the line) is have 3 year old tech and price it as if it were new, then your branding will suffer as a result.  All I am saying is if they choose not to be interested in this market then they should kill it.  Making everybody that is using these products frustrated, angry and guessing is not doing anybody any good and its affecting Apple by all the back lash that is becoming rampant.

    Just to give you a comparison of what their competition is providing.   Dell has upgraded their workstations twice in this time and I could get a dual 18 core E5v4 (36 cores total) Dell for less than what apple is charging for their 12 core E5v2 that is 2 generations behind.  That isn't even their top of the line.  Dell, HP and others offer, dual 22 cores (44 cores total) with state of the art graphics cards.

    You ask what we need this kind of power for.  We do Architectural 3D renderings and trust me, we can use as much power as you can give us.  There is always another level of realism to achieve and/or speed of getting work out quicker.  To me your comment is no different then when Bill Gates said "who need more than 640k"
    blastdoorlorin schultzdoozydozen
  • Reply 19 of 59
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    macxpress said:
    altivec88 said:
    macxpress said:
    blastdoor said:
    Dude -- if you want to retire and teach then just do it.

    i want a new Mac Pro, not a coffee table book!
    Yeah Apple decided a book was more important than a niche product for them. And yes, sorry the Mac Pro is a nice product for them. Also ummm...what CPU do you suppose they use in it? 
    What CPU do you suppose they use.... Really dude. The Xeon E5 CPU in the MacPro has been updated by intel twice since 2013. The E5v2 tops out at 12 cores, the current E5v4 tops at 22 cores. For those needing this level of power, such as ourselves, this difference is enormous. The improvements in graphics cards since that time is even more drastic. You have no idea, how many companies rely on the Mac Pro as their back bone. The Mac Pro has been updated once in 5 years. We skipped the 2013 update because Apple's design choice of removing a cpu and causing it to max out at 12 cores made it equal to what we already had. So here we are 5 years later and still stuck at 12 cores with aging/dying systems. We refuse to replace any with the full price current 3 year old tech and our frustration with Apple grows every day. So although the Mac Pro may be niche, without it, we will be dumping all Apple products. Don't get me wrong because I am aware that Apple just wants to be a phone company. If they are dropping the Mac Pro, I just wish they would have some respect and communicate it ASAP so all us companies that are waiting and waiting so that we can transition on. The frustration level from the pro market is at a full boil. So every time we hear about executives working on a book or a Christmas tree, when their flagship computer is 3 years old and a complete embaressment , there is going to be some negative comments on the board.
    Mac Pros are NOT their flagship computer. Sorry dude try again. Its their least selling Mac. The Mac Pro is the least of their worries. What exactly are you doing to where you need this kind of power?
    The Mac Pro probably is headed for the dustbin. For whatever long term strategic goals Apple has in mind, it evidently does not include the high-end professional.
    I'd like if they maybe headed in my proposed direction: a Mac mini type computer that can be stacked both physically and technically. You stack as much power as you can afford and would like. There's virtually no need to the power you can get. I'd would replace both Mac Pro and Mac mini and really complete Apple's pro desktop vision for the future. As technology progresses people would need to stack less and less of them until the machine is needed no more and MacBook, phones, pads and iMacs do all we need.
  • Reply 20 of 59
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,241member
    Boy, all the haters came out today. Why can't people see this photo book as what it is, simply a historical accumulation of Apple products presented in the typical way Apple presents things. I watched the video and if this is actually the environment Apple has for designing and prototyping new products, I wish I could have been a part of it. I'm sure other companies design studios look more like my garage where I have to walk carefully through it to keep from killing myself. Apple's studios aren't sterile, they're just clean and not encumbered with distractions. As for all of you wanting new products and thinking Apple is spending more money on making a book than on product design, wake up! This book epitomizes Apple, Steve Jobs, and all its employees. If you want something thrown together there's plenty of cheap plastic PCs out there that usually run Windows. I want something that works right all the time and doesn't require me tinkering with it or loading drivers, or constantly updating hardware just to get it to run.

    When my wife isn't watching, I'm going to purchase this book and have it available for people to see. From what I saw in the movie, it's a work of art and should be treated as such.
    tmaymacplusplusbrucemcpatchythepirate
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